Toilet with personalized lifting system

ABSTRACT

A toilet comprising a frame; a bowl supported by the frame; a seat also supported by the frame; a shroud for covering the frame; at least one lift mechanism supported by the frame for adjusting the position of the bowl or seat; at least one sensor for capturing at least one property of a user; and a processor adapted to analyze the at least one property to determine a characteristic of the user is disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Nos.62/862,564 filed on Jun. 17, 2019; 62/888,683 filed Aug. 19, 2019;62/907,408 filed on Oct. 9, 2019; and 62/907,432 filed on Sep. 27, 2019,each of which is incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to toilets. More particularly, it relatesto smart toilets equipped to assist users in sitting and/or rising fromthe toilet.

BACKGROUND

There is a large population of physically disabled, overweight, and/oraging people that have a difficult time getting on and off a toilet. Thesolutions on the market right now are either a raised toilet seat, whichcan be very messy and hard to clean, or a motorized seat that lifts aperson to the standing position. These are usually large and cumbersomearound the toilet and risk dumping a person off the seat before they areon their feet.

Not all people have the same height or body dimensions. However, nearlyall toilets come in only a very small variety of heights. This can makeit particularly difficult or uncomfortable for those who are among thetallest and shortest, or more specifically those with the longest andshortest legs, to lower down, sit, or rise from the toilet seat.Conventional toilets also lack any way to adjust the height of the feet.Raising the feet can only be accomplished with stools, typically havinga fixed height.

The ability to track an individual's health and wellness is currentlylimited to the lack of available data related to personal health. Manydiagnostic tools are based on examination and testing of excreta, butthe high cost of frequent doctor's visits and/or scans make theseoptions available only on a very limited and infrequent basis. Thus,they are not widely available to people interested in tracking their ownpersonal wellbeing.

Toilets present a fertile environment for locating a variety of usefulsensors to detect, analyze, and track trends for multiple healthconditions. Locating sensors in such a location allows for passiveobservation and tracking on a regular basis of daily visits without thenecessity of visiting a medical clinic for collection of samples anddata. Monitoring trends over time of health conditions supportscontinual wellness monitoring and maintenance rather than waiting forsymptoms to appear and become severe enough to motivate a person to seekcare. At that point, preventative care may be eliminated as an optionleaving only more intrusive and potentially less effective curativetreatments. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Just a few examples of smart toilets and other bathroom devices can beseen in the following U.S. patents and Published applications: U.S. Pat.No. 9,867,513, entitled “Medical Toilet With User Authentication”; U.S.Pat. No. 10,123,784, entitled “In Situ Specimen Collection Receptacle InA Toilet And Being In Communication With A Spectral Analyzer”; U.S. Pat.No. 10,273,674, entitled “Toilet Bowl For Separating Fecal Matter AndUrine For Collection And Analysis”; US 2016/0000378, entitled “HumanHealth Property Monitoring System”; US 2018/0020984, entitled “Method OfMonitoring Health While Using A Toilet”; US 2018/0055488, entitled“Toilet Volatile Organic Compound Analysis System For Urine”; US2018/0078191, entitled “Medical Toilet For Collecting And AnalyzingMultiple Metrics”; US 2018/0140284, entitled “Medical Toilet With UserCustomized Health Metric Validation System”; US 2018/0165417, entitled“Bathroom Telemedicine Station”; U.S. Ser. No. 15/222,267, entitled“THIN WEIGHT SCALE.” The disclosures of all these patents andapplications are incorporated by reference in their entireties.

SUMMARY

In a first aspect, the disclosure provides toilet comprising a frame; abowl supported by the frame; a seat also supported by the frame; ashroud for covering the frame; at least one lift mechanism supported bythe frame for adjusting the position of the bowl or seat; at least onesensor for capturing at least one property of a user; and a processoradapted to analyze the at least one property to determine acharacteristic of the user.

Further aspects and embodiments are provided in the foregoing drawings,detailed description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings are provided to illustrate certain embodimentsdescribed herein. The drawings are merely illustrative and are notintended to limit the scope of claimed inventions and are not intendedto show every potential feature or embodiment of the claimed inventions.The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; in some instances,certain elements of the drawing may be enlarged with respect to otherelements of the drawing for purposes of illustration.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first exemplary toilet according tothe present disclosure in a closed position;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the toilet of FIG. 1 with the lid openand an exemplary embodiment of handles deployed;

FIG. 3 is a side plan view of a second exemplary toilet according to thepresent disclosure with the shroud removed and the seat in a loweredposition for sitting;

FIG. 4 is a side plan view of the toilet of FIG. 3 with the seat raisedto a higher sitting position;

FIG. 5 is a side plan view of the toilet of FIG. 3 with the seat raisedto a still higher sitting position;

FIG. 6 is a side plan view of the toilet of FIG. 3 with the seat raisedto a highest sitting position;

FIG. 7 is a side plan view of the toilet of FIG. 3 with the seatslightly raised and moved forward as the seat begins lifting an occupantto their feet;

FIG. 8 is a side plan view of the toilet of FIG. 3 with the seat tiltingforward in the process of lifting an occupant to their feet;

FIG. 9 is a side plan view of the toilet of FIG. 3 with the seat tiltingslightly more in the process of lifting an occupant to their feet;

FIG. 10 is a side plan view of the toilet of FIG. 3 with the seatslightly raised and moved forward in the process of lifting an occupantto their feet;

FIG. 11 is a side plan view of the toilet of FIG. 3 with the seatfurther raised and moved forward to finish the process of lifting anoccupant to their feet;

FIG. 12 is a side plan view of the toilet of FIG. 3 with the footplatform elevated above the floor;

FIG. 13 is a side plan view of the toilet of FIG. 3 with the bowl raised(seat lifting actuators removed for better viewing);

FIG. 14 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of anadjustable piping system according to the present disclosure in alowered or compacted position;

FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the piping of FIG. 14 in an extended orraised;

FIG. 16 is a side cross-sectional view of the toilet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 16A is close-up view of the seat as shown in FIG. 16;

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the toilet of FIG. 1 with the seat in araised position and the shroud expanded to accommodate the movement ofthe seat;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the toilet of FIG. 1;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view of the foot platform of the toilet of FIG.1; and

FIG. 20 is a partial perspective view of a powered quick disconnect fora toilet seat according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following description recites various aspects and embodiments of theinventions disclosed herein. No particular embodiment is intended todefine the scope of the invention. Rather, the embodiments providenon-limiting examples of various compositions, and methods that areincluded within the scope of the claimed inventions. The description isto be read from the perspective of one of ordinary skill in the art.Therefore, information that is well known to the ordinarily skilledartisan is not necessarily included.

Definitions

The following terms and phrases have the meanings indicated below,unless otherwise provided herein. This disclosure may employ other termsand phrases not expressly defined herein. Such other terms and phrasesshall have the meanings that they would possess within the context ofthis disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. In someinstances, a term or phrase may be defined in the singular or plural. Insuch instances, it is understood that any term in the singular mayinclude its plural counterpart and vice versa, unless expresslyindicated to the contrary.

As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include pluralreferents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. For example,reference to “a substituent” encompasses a single substituent as well astwo or more substituents, and the like.

As used herein, “for example,” “for instance,” “such as,” or “including”are meant to introduce examples that further clarify more generalsubject matter. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, such examples areprovided only as an aid for understanding embodiments illustrated in thepresent disclosure and are not meant to be limiting in any fashion. Nordo these phrases indicate any kind of preference for the disclosedembodiment.

As used herein, the term “excreta” refers to any substance released fromthe body including urine, feces, menstrual discharge, and anythingcontained or excreted therewith.

As used herein, the term “toilet” is meant to refer to any device orsystem for receiving human excreta, including urinals.

As used herein, the term “bowl” is meant to refer to the portion of atoilet that is designed to receive excreta.

As used herein, the term “frame” refers to the portion of the toiletbelow and around the bowl supporting it, the seat, and any other toiletcomponents.

As used herein, the term “shroud” is meant to refer to the outer surfaceof the toilet enclosing and covering the frame and typically othertoilet components.

As used herein, the term “actuator” is intended to have a relativelybroad meaning, referring to any mechanical device for moving the seatand/or bowl. Various types of actuators are suitable for use in theinvention. The preferred actuators use hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders.Alternatively, the actuators use screws, levers, hydraulics, pistons, orsome other mechanism to raise and lower the seat and/or bowl.

As used herein, the term “processor” is meant to refer to logiccircuitry that processes data from the sensors, applies algorithms suchas computer vision to identify a user or determine physicalcharacteristics of a user, and instructs a digital controller to adjustthe toilet seat and/or bowl position based on the preferences of a knownuser or characteristics of an unknown (i.e., unidentified) user.

As used herein, the term “position,” as in the position of the bowl,seat or footrest, is intended to refer to the height and/or the angle ofthe device, with respect to the floor.

As used herein, the term “angle,” as in angle of the seat, is intendedto refer to the angle of the seat versus the horizontal floor (i.e., 0°angle) so that increasing the angle refers to the seat approachingperpendicular (i.e., 90° angle).

As used herein, the term “floating” refers to a component that issupported by weight sensors independently of other components and doesnot support other components (e.g., a floating bowl does not support theweight of the seat).

As used herein, the term “removable” refers to any portion of the shroudthat can be moved to allow access to the interior components of thetoilet whether such portion is detached from the toilet or merely moved(e.g., slid over or pivoted on one or more hinges) to provide access.

Exemplary Embodiments

The present disclosure relates to a toilet with a bowl and seatsupported by a frame. The frame includes one or more lifting mechanismsadapted to raise and lower the seat and/or bowl. In some embodiments,there may be separate frames for supporting and adjusting the seat andfor supporting and adjusting the bowl. Preferably, the lifting mechanismis further adapted to change the angle of the seat.

In a preferred embodiment, the toilet comprises a motorized seat liftthat is integral with and internal to the toilet. It also providescustomized lifting motions set to individual users' preferences. Thedisclosed toilet looks and feels like a conventional toilet and can helpprevent fall by keeping a person more supported during a lift and helpthem to their feet at a height appropriate for the individual.

In a preferred embodiment, the adjustable frame allows the toilet to beboth shorter and taller than conventional toilets. This makes the toiletmore comfortable and easier to use for both tall and short users,including children, without the need for special stools or spacers.

In various exemplary embodiments, the bowl is supported by a frameincluding at least one actuator. In various exemplary embodiments, theseat is supported a frame comprising at least one actuator. In variousexemplary embodiments, the frame comprises two, three, four, or moreactuators for the bowl and/or seat. In a more preferred embodiment, theframe comprises three pairs of actuators to move the seat. Preferably,the actuators are controlled by a digital controller that coordinatesthe actions of the actuators to thereby provide a smooth lifting andlower at the desired speed. More preferably, the controller isprogrammable, so that users can program the lifting and lowering of theseat to their preference. Even more preferably, the toilet includes auser identification module, so that the user is automatically identifiedas he or she approaches or sits on the toilet.

Referring to FIG. 1, an exemplary embodiment of a toilet is shown with aclosed lid 101, lowered foot platform 120, and retracted handles 210.FIG. 2 shows the toilet with an open lid 101, raised foot platform 120,and extended handles 210. In a preferred embodiment, handles 210 areadapted to be readily ripped by a user, especially while sitting orrising. In a preferred embodiment, the handles 210 move while the seat200 is lowering and lifting a user to enable them to grip the handles210 and use them for support during sitting and rising. The toilet isenclosed with a shroud 400.

In various exemplary embodiments, the shroud 400 covers all the internalsupport components that comprise the frame as well as the bowl 300. Inpreferred embodiments, the shroud 400 comprises one or more sections ofarticulated or flexible (e.g. elastic, material) assembled such that theshroud 400 can contract or expand as the frame 110 moves the bowl 300and/or seat 200. Other sections of the shroud may be rigid. In variousexemplary embodiments, the at least some portions of the shroud areremovable or openable to allow access to the interior of the toiletframe. The interior of the toilet frame may include, among other things,plumbing connections, fluid supply lines, support structures, health andwellness assessment devices, electronic circuits, digital devices (e.g.,processors, memory), storage tanks, and communication modules.

In various exemplary embodiments, the shrouds 400 are preferablydesigned for aesthetic and other purposes. For example, the shrouds 400can be made in various colors to suit the décor of the bathroom thetoilet is installed in. Besides colors, the shrouds 400 can includepatterns or graphics so that the toilet 100 “makes a statement” in thebathroom.

In various exemplary embodiments, the handles 210 include one or morebuttons, switches, sensors, etc. through which the user may control theseat, including, but not limited to, starting and stopping the seat 200,reversing seat movement direction, adjusting the position or angle ofthe seat 200, and adjusting the height of the bowl 300, seat 200, orfoot platform 120.

In various exemplary embodiments, the handles 210 may include one ormore health and wellness sensors. The sensors may be used to measure howhard the user is gripping and provide feedback to the lift control. Forexample, if a user suddenly increases their grip it is likely that theyare struggling with standing or with their balance. Grip pressure mayalso be tracked over time. The sensors may also include detection forheart rate, body temperature, hand health indicators, cameras,electrocardiogram, pulse, blood test (e.g., using a finger prick), etc.Toilet handles with health and wellness sensors are disclosed in U.S.Patent Pub. No. 2018/0084959, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

Referring to FIGS. 3 to 6, an exemplary embodiment of a toilet 100 isshown with various seat elevations. The toilet 100 includes a frame 110,bowl 300 supported by the frame 110, a lid 101, and a seat 200 alsosupported by the frame 110. In a preferred embodiment, the seat 200 issupported by two sets actuators 111, 112, and 113. In other embodiments,the number and arrangement of actuators may vary.

In a preferred embodiment, a pair of first actuators 111 are pivotallyconnected to a front area of the seat 200 and a pair of second actuators112 are pivotally connected to a back area of the seat 200 providingsupport at four “corners” of the seat 200. The four actuators 111 and112 are also pivotally attached to the frame 110. An additional pair ofthird actuators 113 are pivotally attached to the frame 110 at one endand pivotally attached to the second pair of seat actuators 112 at theirother end. In another embodiment, the third actuators 113 are attachedto the first pair of actuations 111.

FIG. 3 shows the toilet 100 with the seat 200 fully lowered to justabove the top of the bowl 300. In FIG. 4, the first actuators 111,second actuators 112, and third actuators 113 have elevated the seat 200to a greater height while maintaining its position directly above thebowl 300. FIG. 5 shows the toilet 100 with the seat 200 more elevated.FIG. 6 shows the seat 200 at a greater height.

In various exemplary embodiments, the use of multiple 111, 112, and 113actuators for the seat 200 control provide the ability to move the seat200 with much greater control and precision than previous external seatlift systems. By using multiple actuators 111, 112, and 113 withmultiple lift points, it is possible to lift and lower in differentdirections and at different speeds at different points on the seat.

Referring to FIGS. 7 to 11, an exemplary embodiment of a toilet 100 isshown being used to assist a user by lifting them to their feet. In FIG.7, the seat 200 has been elevated and moved away forwards from the bowl.In FIG. 8, the back of the seat 200 has been elevated relative to thefront shifting the occupant's weight more towards their own legs andfeet. In FIG. 9, the elevation and angle has increased lifting the usermore upright and onto their feet. In FIG. 10, the angle of the seat 200has increased again straightening the user's legs and shifting moreweight onto the user's feet. In FIG. 11, the seat 200 angle is nearlyperpendicular to its original position and the user is almost completelyupright and on their feet. In various exemplary embodiments, the processcan be reversed to assist a user to sit down.

In various exemplary embodiments, the toilet 100 also includes a footplatform 120 with a foot lift mechanism. The platform 120 may be used toprovide foot support for shorter users or to elevate the user's legs toa more ergonomically optimal position for defecation (i.e., a “squattypotty”). The “squatty potty” position could also be achieved by loweringthe bowl 300 and/or seat 200. The toilet 100 may include weight sensorsto detect the user's weight on the platform 120 and move from an optimalposition for initially sitting down to another position optimal forpassing excreta.

Referring to FIG. 12, the toilet 100 is shown with the foot platform 120raised (see also FIG. 16). In various exemplary embodiments, theplatform 120 is raised and lowered by pivoting arms 130 using planetarygears (not shown). The angle of the foot platform 120 relative to thearms 130 is adjusted to keep the foot platform 120 by actuators 131.

Referring to FIG. 13, a bowl lift mechanism is used to elevate the bowlthat includes at least one actuator 301. In preferred embodiments, theshroud 400 adapts to changes to the position of the bowl. In such anembodiment, the bowl may remain in fluid connection with the drain ormay be closed off until it is lowered again. In some embodiments, thetoilet may be lowered into the floor to create more space for thetoilet's internal components. In preferred embodiments, the shroud 400is made from an elastic material that stretches and contracts back intoits original shape.

Referring to FIG. 14, an exemplary embodiment of a flexible tube 310 isillustrated in a lowered position. It is made of a series of rotatablyconnected “macaroni” shaped tubes 311. FIG. 15 shows the same tubing 310in a raised position. The act of raising and lowering the bowl 300 withthe plumbing attached could act as the flushing action. When the bowl300 is lifted the tube 310 is straighter and empties everything into thesewer. When it lowers, it creates the standard p-trap with excess tube.The sections of tube 311 shaped like the “macaroni” could also bemotorized at the joints and comprise at least part of the bowl liftmechanism.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 16A, an exemplary embodiment of a floatingtoilet seat 200 according to the present disclosure is shown. The seatincludes a rigid seat support 201 covered by a shroud 202. Weightsensors 203 are placed between the seat support 201 and floating cover202. In various other embodiments, the weight sensors may be placed in avariety of places such as under the actuators or under the frame.

Referring to FIG. 17, the seat 200 is shown in a raised position such asduring lifting or lowering a user. The portion of the shroud 400 thatcovers the lift mechanism expands or stretches as the seat is raised andlowered. In preferred embodiments, the shroud 400 is made from anelastic material that stretches and contracts back into its originalshape.

In various exemplary embodiments, the frame 110 and seat lift areinternal to the toilet 100 rather than an external add-on. It alsocreates a customizable lifting motion set to a person's preferences.This means that the toilet 100 can look and feel mostly like a normaltoilet 100, but it also can help prevent falls by keeping a person moresupported during a lift and help them to their feet at an appropriateheight.

Referring to FIGS. 18-19, an exemplary embodiment of a toilet footplatform 120 according to the present disclosure is shown. The footplatform 120 includes weight sensors 121 placed under the foot platform120 between in and the structure supporting it.

In various exemplary embodiments, the toilet continuously measuresweight load on both the seat 200 and the foot platform 120. In apreferred embodiment, the system weighs the user on the foot platform120 prior to the user placing any weight against the seat 200 andrecords that as the user's total weight. In some embodiments, the systemcalculates a user total weight using both the seat weight sensors 203and foot platform weight sensors 121 after the user seated with the seat200 fully lowered. In various exemplary embodiments, the systemcalculates the percentage of user body weight on the foot platform 120.The angle of the seat 200 is limited from raising based on thepercentage of weight on the foot platform 120. This prevents the seat200 from tipping to an angle that will not support the user's weightprior to the user being on their feet.

Referring still to FIGS. 18-19, the foot platform 120 is adapted toprovide for imaging sensors 134 to examine a user's feet. Imagingsensors 134 are positioned above, to the sides, and below the user'sfeet on the arms 130, crossbar 132, and base 133. The imaging sensors134 may be visible light, infrared, near infrared, thermal, and/or 3Dsensors. A foot platform and imaging sensors of this type are describedin U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/578,118 filed on Sep. 20, 2019,which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

In accordance with the present disclosure, a design for a seat 200 thatcan be easily added/removed from a toilet, seat topper, seat lifter,etc. is provided. This allows for easier installation of a new seat 200to accommodate upgraded seats and/or seat sensors. Referring to FIG. 20,a powered quick disconnect mechanism is shown. The seat 200 is removedby pressing in on the spring-loaded button 204. This moves thespring-loaded axle 205 out of the seat to allow the seat 200 to beremoved. The electrical connector 206 automatically connects anddisconnects with physical connection. The electrical connector 206comprises a ring connector that maintains electrical connectionthroughout the seat's range of motion. This provides for electricalpower and/or data connections to sensors in the seat.

In various exemplary embodiments, the bowl 300 floats on weight sensorswhich makes it possible to weigh excreta in the bowl 300. In suchembodiments, the bowl 300 does not support the seat 200, lid 101, or anyother components of the toilet 100. In a preferred embodiment, theweight sensors 302 are located between the bowl actuators 301 (see FIG.13) and the bowl 300 but may be located anywhere in the bowl supportsystem (e.g., under the bowl actuators 301).

In various exemplary embodiments, a default position for the bowl and/orseat may be selected by the user. In such embodiments, the system willreturn to this position after being used by someone with a differentpreferred or optimal position. In various exemplary embodiments, thesmart toilet may be programmed with separate default configurations forchildren and adults.

Preferably, the actuators are controlled by a digital controller thatcoordinates the actions of the actuators to thereby provide a smoothlifting and lower at the desired speed. More preferably, the controlleris programmable, so that users can program the lifting and lowering ofthe seat to their preference. Even more preferably, the toilet includesa user identification module, so that the user is automaticallyidentified as he or she approaches or sits on the toilet.

In accordance with the present disclosure, a smart toilet that includesmechanical, hydraulic, power, and data connections to accommodate acombination of health measuring tools is provided. An electricalconnection to provide power to the health measuring tools is alsoprovided.

In various exemplary embodiments, the smart toilet includes at least oneimaging sensor that captures and analyzes at least one image of a user.A processor analyzes the image data to attempt to compare the user toknown users for identification purposes. If a known user is identified,the position of the bowl and/or seat is automatically adjusted to thepreferred position of the user. If the user is unknown or does not havea record preferred position, the processor analyzes the physicalcharacteristics of the user (e.g., height, waist height, length of upperand lower legs) and adjusts the position of the bowl and/or seataccordingly. In some embodiments, facial recognition is used to identifyusers.

In various preferred embodiments, the system may identify a user basedon their face, hand, or foot. In various preferred embodiments, theimage sensor includes a 3D camera. The 3D camera can be used to createan image of the user's body. With proper calibration, such as taking theimage at a known distance, the length of major bones may be calculatedand used to customize the toiler position for an unknown user.

In various exemplary embodiments, the toilet system includes sensors formeasuring the user's weight. This includes separate sensors fordetermining user weight on the seat and user weight on the user's feet.The user's weight that is supported by their feet is preferably measuredusing a platform adjacent to the toilet on which the user's feet areplaced while sitting and while being lowered or raised from the toilet.

In the preferred embodiments, the toilet also includes health assessmentdevices supported by the frame. Examples of such devices include imagingsensors, spectrometers, volume measurement devices, weight sensors,temperature gauges, chromatography devices, electrochemical sensors, andgas analyzers. Toilets with such devices are described in the patentsand published applications cited in the Background section above.

In various exemplary embodiments, the seat and bowl may be liftedtogether such that the toilet may be used as a urinal. In such aconfiguration, the system may be designed to flush with a reduced volumeof water.

All patents, published patent applications, and other publicationsreferred to herein are incorporated herein by reference. The inventionhas been described with reference to various specific and preferredembodiments and techniques. Nevertheless, it is understood that manyvariations and modifications may be made while remaining within thespirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A toilet comprising: a frame; a bowl supported bythe frame; a seat also supported by the frame; a shroud for covering theframe; at least one lift mechanism supported by the frame for adjustingthe position of the bowl or seat; at least one sensor for capturing atleast one property of a user; and a processor adapted to analyze the atleast one property to determine a characteristic of the user; whereinthe processor controls the at least one lift mechanism to adjust theposition of the bowl based on the characteristic of the user.
 2. Thetoilet of claim 1 wherein the characteristic is the identity of theuser.
 3. The toilet of claim 2 wherein the processor controls the atleast one lift mechanism to adjust the position of the bowl based on theuser's selected preferences.
 4. The toilet of claim 1 wherein thecharacteristic is a physical attribute of the user.
 5. The toilet ofclaim 1 wherein the at least one sensor is an imaging sensor, and theproperty of the user is an image.
 6. The toilet of claim 5 wherein theimaging sensor is a 3D camera.
 7. The toilet of claim 6 wherein the 3Dcamera captures at least one image that is used by the processor todetermine physical characteristics of the user.
 8. The toilet of claim 5wherein the processor analyzes the image to determine physicalattributes including one or more of height, leg length, lower leglength, and upper leg length.
 9. The toilet of claim 8 wherein theprocessor controls the at least one lift mechanism to adjust theposition of the seat based on physical attributes of the user.
 10. Thetoilet of claim 5 wherein the at least one imaging sensor captures atleast one image of the user's face, hand, or foot.
 11. The toilet ofclaim 10 wherein the at least one image is used by the processor toidentify the user.
 12. The toilet of claim 1 wherein the at least onelift mechanism comprises: a bowl lift mechanism supported by the framefor adjusting the position of the bowl; and a seat lift mechanismsupported by the frame for adjusting the position of the seat.
 13. Thetoilet of claim 12 wherein the bowl lift mechanism comprises at leastone actuator and the seat lift mechanism comprises at least oneactuator.
 14. The toilet of claim 13 wherein the actuators are one ormore of a screw, piston, linear, and hydraulic actuator.
 15. The toiletof claim 1 wherein the shroud comprises an elastic material that adaptsas the configuration of the toilet is altered by adjusting the positionof the bowl and/or seat.
 16. The toilet of claim 1 further comprisingsensors for detecting health and wellness data from the user supportedby the frame.
 17. The toilet of claim 16 wherein the health assessmentdevices are selected from the group consisting of imagine cameras,spectrometers, volume measurement devices, weight sensors, temperaturegauges, chromatographs, and gas analyzers.
 18. The toilet of claim 1further comprising handles for the user to grasp for support duringlifting or lowering.
 19. The toilet of claim 18 wherein the handlesfurther comprise sensors for detecting health and wellness data from theuser.
 20. The toilet of claim 18 wherein the handles further comprisesensors for detecting the gripping force of the user's hands on thehandle.